How Can You Tell if a Loved One with Dementia Is Also Depressed?

Home Care in Jensen Beach FL

Dementia can cause a variety of other problems for your elderly loved one but it can also mask problems. One of the conditions that dementia can make it difficult for you to spot is depression. If your loved one is depressed and also has dementia, some of these signs might clue you in.

An Increase in Challenging Behaviors

Challenging behaviors are one of the biggest signs that a loved one who has dementia is dealing with something else, too. Some of these behaviors include agitation, wandering, and repetition, just for a start. If you start to see an increase in these behaviors, it’s possible that your loved one is feeling depressed and doesn’t know how to deal with it.

Decreased Energy Levels

When your loved one is depressed, she may become lethargic or seem as if her energy levels are extremely low. Depression can steal your loved one’s energy, leaving her unable and unwilling to engage in her normal daily activities.

Decreased Appetite and Weight Loss

Depression can often rob your loved one of the desire to eat at all. When that happens, your loved one is likely to start losing weight rapidly. You might find that it’s difficult to coax your loved one into eating even her favorite foods, so you might need to get creative with ways to get more calories into her every day.

Increased Signs of Worry and Anxiety

Depression can make your loved one worried or anxious and she might display that feeling in a variety of ways. She might have a difficult time sleeping at night or she might have restless energy that she works off during the day. Your loved one might start to pace or fidget when she didn’t do that before.

Pessimistic Thoughts and Suicidal Ideation

A particularly dangerous sign of depression in your elderly loved one is evidence that she’s experiencing pessimistic thoughts or that she’s having suicidal thoughts. Both may be signs that your loved one is far more depressed than you think that she is.

Let your loved one’s home care providers and other family members know what you’re looking for, too, so they can help you to spot depression quickly.

If you or an aging loved one are in need of home care in Jensen Beach, FL or the surrounding areas, contact the caring professionals at Treasure Coast Home Health Care. Call today at 772-872-6983.

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We have used Treasure Coast Home Health Care for six months now. Before TCHHC came into our lives, we were concerned mom would fall, be lonesome and sleep too much. We are relieved that mom has the help and the care she needs at home."
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